Running Towards a Dream
by phoenixcurse
Summary: An alternate ending to Ella Enchanted. Ella aludes Char after the ball, and runs for Ayortha. On her way there, she finds out a way to break the curse- but as she quests to have the curse lifted, Char is still chasing her; and this time, he's going to make sure she doesn't escape.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so this fanfic starts when Ella has just been revealed to Char at the third ball…hope you like it!**

"Ella!" Hattie shrieked. Char gasped.  
>"Ella?" I broke away from him and ran. Hattie must have been constraining him somehow; otherwise he would have caught me in a second. I ran down the palace steps, and past the pumpkin that had been my carriage, and ran towards the manor. As I neared it, I slowed, panting for breath, a thousand things running through my head. How could I have been so careless, now Char would follow me and-a sudden realization smacked me in the face. I couldn't return to the manor. At least, not right away. That would be the first place Char would look for me. But then, what should I do? Where should I go? I considered several plans, before selecting the simplest and safest one. I straightened, and ran towards the woods behind the manor. There I could hide, and still see what was going on. Once Char had visited the manor, and then left, I could go get Mandy. I darted behind a large, mossy tree, just as hoof beats thundered on the road I had just been on. Char, closely followed by his knights, tore towards the manor. Char barely slowed his mount before leaping off, and running to the door. He pounded on it several times before Dame Olga swept it open. He stalked past her, and out of my sight.<p>

Char POV  
>I stormed into Ella's manor, her stepmother hot on my heels. I spun around to face her. "I want you to gather every human in this manor!" She gaped at me, confused, as I tried to calm myself. She arranged her face into a sickeningly sweet smile.<br>"But of course. Mandy!" She hollered, turning from me. "Have everyone in this establishment gather here at once!" Mandy bobbed in a curtsy.  
>"As your ladyship wishes." The plump woman hurried out of the room. Within minutes, everyone, from the lowliest of the servants to Dame Olga and her daughters had gathered. My knights walked among them, searching for Ella.<br>"Here's a lass!" called Sir Stephan. "Come along now miss," he said gently, pulling her forward. Her face was barely recognizable under the layers of soot and cinders.  
>"Ella?" I asked softly, my heart begging that it was her. But the girl shook her head.<br>"My name 'tis Aria, sir," she said in a lilting accent. Despair crushed my heart. The only reason it kept beating was that I hoped she may be Ella, using her talent for and languages and accents. I took one of her hands, to see if it really wasn't her. But it was a hand I did not recognize; a hand that didn't know mine like Ella's.  
>"It isn't her," I said softly, defeated. One of Dame Olga's daughters spoke up, Hattie.<br>"Why are you looking for Ella?" I turned to her.  
>"May I ask your family some questions in private?" I asked them wearily.<br>"But of course, Prince Charmont," Hattie beamed through her large front teeth.

"Who is the gentleman Ella is...is...married to?" Dame Olga frowned at me.  
>"Married? Ella isn't married! She lives here with us."<br>"Ella isn't…isn't married?"

"No, of course not!" Hattie looked shocked. "Who would want to marry her? She lives here."

"Yes, Ella works for us, 'cause she does everything she's told," Olive put in. My head snapped up, as did Hattie's.  
>"Did you just say Ella works for you?"<br>"No! Of course not!" Hattie said. "What she meant was-"  
>"Shut up," I growled at her. She snapped her mouth shut, shocked. I turned back to Olive. "What did you say?"<br>"I said that Ella is one of the servants, 'cause she has to obey every command she's told," she squeaked, sounding frightened. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to stay calm.  
>"Are you telling me that Ella isn't married and that you've been using her as a servant? She's a noble! But more importantly, she's a part of your family!" I glared at them. "Answer me!"<br>Hattie kept her head down, and Dame Olga wouldn't meet my eye. I turned to Olive. "Is this true?" I asked, forcing my tone to stay calm and composed. She nodded. I groaned. "And let me guess-you made her write me that letter telling me she was married?" Hattie looked up, confused.  
>"Letter?"<br>"Yes! We wrote letters back and forth the entire time I was in Ayortha."  
>"She was writing you?" Hattie shrieked. I glared at her. She shrank back.<br>"No, I didn't tell her too. I didn't even know she was writing you letters. I guess I could have told her to write it...she would have had to." Something clicked.  
>"Wait...why do you keep saying she has to obey?" Hattie glanced at her mother.<br>"Well...she can't not obey."  
>"What do you mean she can't?"<br>"She'll try not to but...it hurts her. She can only not obey an order for a minute or two before she has to obey. It's almost like she's cursed." With those words, it was like I had been handed the last piece of a puzzle. Why she had to listen to what everyone told her to do, why she hid at the wedding until that fairy had left...the fairy that had used her magic so irresponsibly on Sir Peter...  
>"Cursed..." I said, dazed, trying to wrap my mind around the idea. I stood up, nearly knocking down the chair I had been sitting on. "I need to go," I said, before walking out on them. I walked out of the manor in a daze, and had trouble mounting my horse. Was Ella…cursed?<p>

Ella POV

I watched Char stumble out of the manor, and gallop off towards the palace. Good. One obstacle down, one to go. I watched the window I knew was Dame Olga's, until the light went out. It was now nearly dawn. I didn't have much time. I snuck into the manor through the stables, and crept to the kitchen, where I knew Mandy would be cleaning up. Sure enough, there she was. "Mandy," I whispered. Her head popped up, and she ran over to give me a hug.

"Oh, Ella! I was getting worried about you!"

"Mandy, listen," I whispered urgently. "I have to leave. I think I'll go to Ayortha, to Areida's. I can't stay here." Tears ran down her face.

"Oh, Lady, I'm going to miss you. Go get your things; I'll get you everything else you'll need." I ran to my room, slipping into comfortable traveling clothes. I carefully put my book, my Auglen wolf, and my one remaining slipper into it. As I crept down the hall, I paused in front of Hattie's room. Before I could stop myself, I slipped in and took back Mother's necklace, which I quickly stored in my bag. When I returned to the kitchen, Mandy had food, money, and a gift waiting for me.

"Here Lady," she said, handing me a smooth, wooden box, with a carving of a unicorn, so beautiful that it almost moved, on top. "This is a fairy trinket. If you put something in it, close the lid, and lock it, it will disappear, and will reappear in my box," she said, tapping a second box. I fought back tears and hugged her as hard as I could. "Now, it's time for you to go. The sun will rise soon."

"I'll miss you," I said, my voice muffled against her apron. Mandy led me outside, where Lafaria, a black mare who was one of the best horses we owned, stood saddled and ready to go. I swung myself up, and said goodbye to Mandy. As I rode down the road away from Frell, I stopped Lafaria so I could look back at the castle. "Goodbye Char," I whispered. I turned, and galloped away from the one person my heart told me to go towards.

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took so long for me to update. Here's the next chapter!**

**Disclamer: **

**Me: Ella, say that I own Ella Enchanted!**

**Ella: Phoenixcurse owns Ella Enchanted.**

**Char: Ella, tell the truth.**

**Ella: Phoenixcurse doesn't own Ella Enchanted.**

**Me: NOOOOOOOOO! Why Ella?**

**Ella: Sorry, the curse made me tell the truth.**

**And there you have it. I don't own Ella Enchanted.**

Ella POV

I rode hard through the day, the image of the palace sparkling in the dawn trapped in my head-along with the man I had left there. I rode past noon, only stopping briefly to water Lafaria, and scribble a quick note to Mandy saying everything was going well, and that I was nearing the town of Bast. Even though I was expecting it, I was thrilled when I opened the lid of the fairy box, and the note had disappeared. I mounted again, and didn't stop until I had reached Bast, and the sun was slipping behind the trees. I found an inn that requested a reasonable price, and after making sure Lafaria would be settled in, I collapsed on my own bed, exhausted, and let my eyes close. I laughed drily as I realized the irony in my situation. Bast-Lela's hometown. I should have planned this more thoroughly. I could imagine a thousand ways that Char could catch up to me, and I'd have to marry him. I sighed, and let my eyes drift closed again. I would leave early the next morning. There was no way I would let him catch me now. Even though I almost wanted him to.

Char POV

I paced in my room, sorting through everything I had learned. Lela was Ella. Ella was Lela. Ella was not married. Ella had been a slave for a year, and I had not noticed, even though she was writing me letters. Ella might be cursed. I shook my head, trying to sort out the facts from the lies. Ella wasn't cursed, I decided. If she was, she would have told me. I laughed at myself for jumping to conclusions. Ella wouldn't keep a secret that big from me. I stood in front of my hanging map of Kyrria, wondering where she could have gone. I came up with several possible locations of where she could have gone; Jenn, Bast, or Harenia. She had definitely left Frell. I decided she wouldn't have gone to Jenn either; she had hated finishing school, there was no way she would have returned. That left Bast and Harenia. Pounding at my door startled me out of my thoughts, and a red faced Sir Stephan burst into the room. "Have you found any hints as to where she has gone?" I asked eagerly. He smiled wearily.

"Yes, sire. There are reports of a young woman traveling south on a black horse. It is said that they are traveling at astonishing speed." I walked once again to the map. That ruled out Harenia; it was to the north of Frell.

"Do you know which roads she took?"

"Yes. She took the main road out of Frell, but soon left it for a smaller road through the forest."

"Good. Have my men prepare, we leave for Bast at the crack of dawn." Sir Stephan smiled, bowed, and left the room. I sank into my chair, relieved. Ella was okay, and I knew where to find her.

Ella POV

I awoke to a dark sky. I frowned-the sun should have risen. I soon realized that it had; there was a heavy blanket of clouds stretching across the sky. I paid the owner, saddled Lafaria, and continued at my frantic pace towards Ayortha. At sometime in the afternoon, it began to rain. It was a light drizzle at first, but it soon escalated into a full-fledged thunderstorm. I decided only a fool would continue in such conditions, and quickly located shelter. It was in the form of a cave nestled between two large oaks, tucked into a hill. It had a small entrance, but the inside was large enough me and Lafaria to both have plenty of space. I gathered wood, but quickly saw I had nothing to light it with. Thankfully, when I opened the fairy box, I found provisions-including matches. I lit a fire, and began to munch on an apple, while Lafaria dozed. I sat on a rock outcropping, and looked around the cave. I screamed as I found a pair of bulbous eyes staring into mine, and nimble hands seized Lafaria and me.

**Sorry, didn't mean to make this a cliff hanger. I promise I'll update more quickly now-I've been really busy with track and band.**


	3. Chapter 3

I want to thank everyone who followed, reviewed, or favorited this story! Now, on to chapter 3!  
>Disclaimer:<br>My best friend: Watch'a doin' this weekend?  
>Me: Well, I have to babysit, take care of my neighbor's dog, and I have a book signing at Barnes &amp; Nobles.<br>BF: You wrote a book?  
>Me: Yeah, I wrote Ella Enchanted.<br>BF: No you didn't, Gail Carson Levine did. You could never write something that good!  
>Me: Thanks...(-_-')<br>So, as my best friend so kindly pointed out, I do not own Ella Enchanted. I only play with the characters.

Ella POV

The first thing I noticed when I gained consciousness was a piercing headache, like tiny ogres had been stomping on my head. The second was the little person staring at me. I sat up quickly, groaning as my muscles protested. "You must rest," the creature in the corner said. "You hit your head on the rocks when my cousin startled you." I immediately lied down, and the curse began to force my body to relax.  
>"You speak Kyrrian?" I asked, a bit surprised. The creature smiled.<br>"Just enough to have a conversation with a lovely human maid." I blushed at his complement.  
>"Thank you. What is your native tongue? And I don't mean to be rude or to pry, but what are you? I can see you are neither an elf nor a dwarf, and you are certainly no gnome or ogre." The little fellow chuckled.<br>" I am a member of the noble race of Delvera. We are not quite elves, and not quite dwarves. I suppose we are somewhere in between. As for my  
>language, I speak in the ancient language, allowing me to converse with almost any object."<br>"I've never heard of Delvera," I blurted out. I hadn't ever seen one before either. He came up to about my waist, and had long, skinny features with pale green skin. Two horns and bat like ears were balanced on his head, with a tuft of white hair perched on top. He wore clothes made of a cloth I had never seen before, but they were as grand as nobles'. When I asked about the material, I was told they were made of silver. I smirked as I thought of Hattie. She probably would have fainted upon finding the material the cloth was spun from. Thinking about Hattie reminded me of Lafaria, and I voiced my concern for her.  
>"You have nothing to fear. Your beautiful mare is currently resting in our stables." I nodded, and smiled thanks. I then began to pepper Idjnoir, the Delvera, about his culture. The Delvera lived in a series of underground tunnels and chambers. The cave I had stopped in had actually been the entrance to their underground society, and the guard had panicked, and grabbed me, and I had ended up here. Idjnoir told me about their way of life, their magic, everything. When he finished, he turned to me and said, " I hope I have satisfied your thirst for knowledge. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like some answers as well. Through my magic, I've senses several things that I would like for you to explain to me. Why are you running? And more importantly...what is your curse?"<p>

Char POV

We were a bit over halfway to Bast when it began to rain. The rain continued to get thicker and thicker, and by the time we reached Bast, one could barely see the hand in front of their face! We stopped at the first inn we found. As we were led to our rooms, I noticed something glinting on the ground. I quickly bent and scooped it up before continuing down the hall. Once I was in the privacy of my own room. I opened my hand to see my prize. I gasped as I identified it-it was one of the flowers from Ella's tiara at the ball! She had been here, and it must have been recently, seeing as it was still on the floor. We were close, I was sure. She couldn't have gone far in this weather.

Ella POV

I gaped at Idjnoir. "My...my what?"  
>"Your curse, lady. Please tell me." I stared at him.<br>"How did you know I have a curse?" He smiled at me.  
>" I sensed it with my magic, and you just admitted it to me. Tell me what it is." With that order, Mother's order shattered. I struggled to go against the curse, and honor her last request. My usual symptoms began to arise-my head began to pound, and I struggled to breathe. The words were on the tip of my tongue, and I tried to pull them back down, until I began to feel faint.<br>"I am cursed with obedience," I blurted out, and immediately felt better.

"Obedience?" He asked. " How could that be a curse?"

"Well, if someone ordered me to chop off my head…"

"Oh. I see. May I presume that you are journeying to break this curse?" I smiled at him.

"You may."

"In that case, I suggest that you go to the Cave of Dreams. In it resides a phoenix. If you are deemed worthy, it will take your curse from you." My eyes widened. I could have my curse lifted that easily?

"Where is it?" I asked eagerly.

"Ayortha. I will have my grandson, Noirin, accompany you there, if you would like." I nodded.

"That would be wonderful."

**Sorry that there wasn't much Char in this chapter. I wasn't going to put him in at all, but I decided to for the sake of any fangirls he may have .**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm still alive! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long…I've been without access to electronics since the beginning of June. I hope you like this chapter!**

**Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited this story!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted, I would have a herd of unicorns and centaurs in my yard, and elves would rule the world. I clearly do not own it.**

Ella

Idjnoir introduced me to his grandson, Noirin. He was tall as, if not taller than, I, and he seemed almost human. His skin, however, had a green tint, and his ears were pointed. His cold, calculating eyes reminded me of an ogre's. "My lady," he said smoothly in Kyrrian. "It will be my honor to escort you." I forced myself to smile. Although I instantly disliked him, he _was_ taking me to have my curse lifted.

"Thank you, Noirin," I said, trying to sound polite. Idjnoir stepped forward.

"The Cave is in Ayortha, a day's ride past the palace." That meant about two weeks' worth of riding. "Once you get to the palace, you must go due east until you reach a large oak in the middle of a clearing. If you apply pressure to the knot on the side of the tree, the Cave will reveal itself. The Cave has been our secret for many generations. We have guarded the phoenix that resides inside, in exchange for its powers allowing us to successfully grow crops under the ground. Here,take this and show it to the Delvera at the mouth of the cave. If you do not, they will not allow you to pass." He offered me a small dragon sculpted out of wood. "You may stay here until you are ready to depart. I will arrange for provisions for your journey." I smiled at him, as the curse stretched out my hand to take the trinket.

"Thank you so much!"

Char

The rain had finally cleared up. By the time the clouds had deserted the blue skys, my knights and I were already on our way. When I talked to the innkeeper, she said she had seen someone who matched Ella's description. However, that lady had left before the storm had started. She had been riding in the direction of Ayortha.

Ella

I didn't want to delay. I wanted my curse lifted as soon as was possible, so I could beg Char for forgiveness. Idjnoir supplied everything we would need, and gave me tack for Lafaria made of bronze and gold. It was studded with small sapphires. I was told that everything I was given was now mine. When I protested against accepting such wonderful gifts, Idjnoir silenced me. "Please accept them, or I'll force you to." Noirin and I exited through the same tunnel that I had entered through. I squinted against the blinding sunlight. As Noirin and I rode towards Ayortha in silence, I noticed that my surroundings were pretty dry. I realized that the storm had been over for some time. We went at a steady pace, but not as fast as I would have liked. It was midafternoon when I heard the faint strains of thundering hooves.

Char

"Sire! There are two riders on the road in front of us!" Sir Stephan shouted over the noise of the horses. I focused on them. They were a man and a woman, riding at a steady gait. The woman had long brown hair, her clothes seemed to glow softly in the sunlight, along with her horse and its tack. She turned, and seemed to stare straight at me. She quickly turned to her companion, and after what seemed to be a brief discussion, they began to gallop away from us. By then, we had gotten close enough that I was able to recognize the lady.

"Ella!"

**So I'm planning on adding in some characters from Fairest. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

Since it's been so long, let's just get back to the story.  
>Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted, I would be writing this from the back of a centaur, not from an airplane.<p>

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><p>Ella POV<br>Lafaria's hooves thundered against the damp road as I stared behind me in shock at the men chasing us. Char yelled my name, and I could feel my heart pulling me towards him. I whirled in my seat, urging Lafaria forward, and silently prayed to anyone who might be listening that he wouldn't command me to stop, or slow down or-  
>"Ella, please! Stop running from me!"<br>Damn.  
>I could feel the curse trying to take control, to make me stop, to go to Char. It clouded my brain, hiding all thoughts except for stopping. I began to pull on the reigns to slow Lafaria.<br>"Fight it, Ella!" Noir shouted at me. "You will not stop and go to Char!" Instantly the curse released me from its grip, and, smiling gratefully at Noir, I sped Lafaria up. The wind ripped through my hair, an my eyes stung from the cold air. "We have to split up. They are chasing you. I will charge them, giving you time to escape. When you have lost your pursuers, use your fairy gifts to find me. Goddess bless you." He whipped around, charging Char's knights. I yanked on the reigns, plunging into the forest.

Char POV  
>I urged my horse forward, yelling "Ella, please! Stop running from me!" She stiffened, then reached for then reigns. Her... companion shouted something at her, and she visibly relaxed before pushing her horse to go even faster. They conversed for a moment before he spun his horse around, bearing down upon us. My men shouted and scattered as he tore through us, as if we were of no more consequence to him than leaves to the wind. I jerked the reigns, steering myself out of the way as he turned again and charged after us. I noticed the road in front of us was empty. I searched desperately for her, and I was rewarded with a glimpse of Ella disappearing between the trees. "Sir Stephan, to me! As for the rest of you, apprehend that man!" I tore off after Ella with Sir Stephan right behind.<p>

Ella POV  
>I suppose if I hadn't been tearing through the forest, running to save Char's life and-my own-I would have noticed how beautiful the forest looked. Lush green shrubbery and foliage was everywhere, and a carpet of moss covered the forest floor. It crept up trees and covered rocks. It blurred into a sea of green as Lafaria and I became one with the wind. When I felt we were far enough away, I slowed Lafaria to a trot, and went towards an outcropping of rock. I released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, recalling our encounter. I pulled Lafaria to a halt, before covering my face with my hands and breaking down in tears. Why couldn't Char just marry someone else? Someone who couldn't be forced to hurt him. Someone I wish I could be. He was hunting me down determinedly after I had broken his heart. Why was he still chasing me?<br>Why was I running?  
>I stayed like that for a few minutes, crying for Char, for me, and for all the dreams that wouldn't come true.<br>"Ella!"  
>I whipped around, tears still streaming down my face. Char and Sir Stephan were bearing down on me. They would catch me in moments. I gathered the reigns and dug in my heels. Lafaria reared, before leaping off the rock and plunging deeper into the forest.<p>

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><p>I'm so sorry I pulled a disappearing act like that! I'm going to try to update at least once every two weeks. Life has been absolutely insane. Anyway, did anyone see The Hobbit or Les Mis? They were both really good. I'm going to see it soon, and I'm really excited! Also, I want to try something new. At the end of each chapter, I'll ask a question. Review or pm me your answer, and I'll pick my favorite and dedicate a chapter to you! Btw, speaking of reviews, I can't believe how many I've gotten. Thank you to each and every one of you who has supported this story in some way. Anyway, this chapter's question is; if you could be any Disney princess, which one would you be?<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! First things first-this chapter is dedicated to **_**Thorniko**_**. Thank you to **_**Marlie Parson**_**, **_**speedygonzales05**_**, and **_**TheLagoon**_** for reviewing! Anyway, the last chapter was a filler, sorry about that, but I felt bad for taking such a long time to upload. Also, do you like the picture I'm using for this story? If you haven't seen it, look above this paragraph. It's somewhere there. Anyway, back to the action!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted, I would have a baby dragon that could burn my homework. I bet my teacher hasn't heard that one yet ;)**

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><p><em>Ella POV<em>

Lafaria pounded forwards through the thick underbrush as we flew through the forest with Char close in pursuit. I frantically rummaged in my bag as we streaked past trees for the wax I had brought in case of Ogre attacks. I finally found it, and hastily shoved it in my ears. Now that I was in no danger of hearing any commands Char may issue, I could focus, and come up with a plan.

_Char POV_

"_Why are you running from me_?" I yelled at her back, as her swift black mare galloped in front of us, not letting us gain a bit. I growled in frustration. Sir Stephan glanced over at me.

"Char, I know these woods. There's a large fallen tree that she won't be able to jump. We can corner her there."

"Let's go."

_Ella POV_

When I look back on it, I can't figure out how I was dumb enough to not realize that I was being herded into a trap. I guess it was because my emotions were going haywire, and my fight and flight instinct had kicked in.

But that didn't matter when Lafaria burst into a clearing and dug in her hooves, nearly throwing me over her head. To my amazement and horror, there was a gigantic tree stretching in front of me. I caught my breath at the sight of it; this tree was big enough that it would have been standing before people inhabited this land, and dragons and ogres roamed free. I mourned that it had been cruelly knocked over, almost ensuring its death.

However, this tree also lay between me and freedom. Its roots cut off the path to my left; the branches blocked me when I tried to turn the other way. I whipped Lafaria around as Char and Sir Stephan burst in to the clearing. They cut off the only other way out, forcing Lafaria to back up towards the tree. Sir Stephan dismounted, and despite me doing my best to fight back, he lowered me to the ground as well.

"Here's why she couldn't hear you sire! The lass has got wax in her ears!" Sir Stephan exclaimed, before very unhelpfully removing it. Char dismounted and walked over slowly, until he was standing right in front of me. I stared at the ground refusing to look at him.

"Ella," he said softly. "Ella, look at me." An order. I delayed as long as I could, before slowly raising my eyes to his chest. He hadn't specified _where_ he wanted me to look. He sighed. I studied a gash in his forest green uniform. I had let them catch me. Char was about to doom Kyrria, and himself.

"Why did you lie to me?" My eyes whipped up to his in shock. That's not what I was expecting. He gazed down on me softly. "I know you aren't married. I also happen to know that Hattie didn't write the letter."

"I know. I wrote the letter. So why are you still chasing me?" Char stared at me, confused. I turned, running my hand over the smooth bark of the tree. "I lied to you, I hurt you, and yet you still chase me. Why?"

His mouth tugged into a gentle smile. "Easy. I-"

"Ella!" We jumped at the exclamation as Noirin bore down on us full speed on his horse. I let out a surprised scream as he scooped me off the ground onto his horse, and Char, cursing, dove out of the way. As we plunged into the forest, I twisted in the saddle, letting out a high pitched whistle. Lafaria, the smart, wonderful horse she was, broke into a gallop and raced after us. As the trees closed on the small meadow, I was treated to one last glimpse of Char. He had dirt smeared on his face, and he stared at me, his broken heart showing his eyes.

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><p><strong>A bit shorter than I would have liked, but a chapter nonetheless. Next Chapter is going to be entirely from Char's point of view. Anyway, this chapter's question is: What's your pet peeve? Remember, if you review with an answer you could have the next chapter dedicated to you!<strong>

**Forever and Always,**

**Phoenixcurse**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another day, another chapter. I'm home sick, and I finished all my makeup work, so I'm going to work on these stories, and maybe a new one…? I've got a list of story ideas that I **_**really**_** want to write, but I promised myself that I won't start a new story until I finish this one -_- Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to **marlieparson**. Thanks to **greekmythgirl**, **readerpossed**, and** thorniko **for reviewing! Individual review responses can be found at the end of the chapter. And so, without further ado, I present the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted, I would be forced to drink tonic and eat unicorn-hair-soup. *Shudders* Actually, right now I'm glad I don't own Ella Enchanted. I don't wanna drink hair.**

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><p>Char POV<p>

I felt like ripping out my hair, like laughing, like crying. I didn't know what to do. The person that Ella had been riding with stole her from me. Sir Stephan tried to grab her horse, to perhaps find out where they were headed, but the mare had raced after her mistress. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Stephan smiling gently at me. "We should regroup with the others, Sire." I nodded numbly, and mounted my horse. She was gone. She had run from me again.

But I had almost caught her.

I urged my horse forward, Stephan falling in behind me. Fiery determination rose up within me.

I will find her.

:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:

"It's the prince!"

"We've found him!" I looked up to see the rest of my men riding towards us. They looked bedraggled and grim, their clothes ripped and dirty.

"What happened? Was it ogres?" Sir Aubrey shook his head.

"T'was the creature that rides with the lady. My prince, that is no human. His ears are pointed, his skin is a waxy green, and he knows magic. We tried to apprehend him, but he beat us soundly with the power of the elements." Aubrey dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Forgive our failure, Highness." I massaged my temples, digesting this new information.

"You are forgiven. It sounds as though you were overpowered by this creature. He caught us by surprise as well, and took Ella with him. For now, let's make camp, and we will continue on in the morning."

I spent the rest of the evening doing whatever task was available, driving my thoughts away with manual labor, until I was told by Sir Bertram to go to bed before I worked myself to death. I found myself lying on my mat staring up through the canopy of leaves above me at the stars, ideas and memories running through my mind. My gaze lingered on a patch of stars above my head, and a small smile worked its way onto my face as I realized it was Saraclya, the griffin constellation, Ella's favorite. I rolled over onto my side. She was definitely heading for Ayortha. If we rode fast, we could catch her. I rolled onto my back again, staring at the stars, and imagining that she was here watching them with me. And so, sleep found me with my eyes closed and a gentle smile on my face, the light from the stars shining softly from above.

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><p><strong>It looks like this is going to be another short chapter. Anyway, the question for this chapter: Which constellation is <strong>_**your**_** favorite? Remember, if you review with an answer you could have a chapter dedicated to you! Also, I have another, more general question: should I have Char catch Ella? I have the story planned out two different ways, but I can't decide, so I'm leaving the matter up to you!**

**Thanks for reading this chapter! Please review!**

**readerpossed-** I know what you mean :/ Does it annoy you when they don't say anything at all when they aren't ok? It annoys me ;) Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

**Marlie Parson- **(1) Thanks! You're the only one that mentioned the picture, and it made me really happy. (2) The other day, I read this book where the antagonist's name randomly changed 3 times! It drove me insane! I definitely understand what you're talking about. Thanks for reviewing again ;)

**Thorniko- **You're welcome It makes me sooo happy that you like my story! I'm also really glad that I helped make your day a good one. It made me all fuzzy inside when I read your review :3 Also, eeeeeeew! *Shudders* That sounds awful! And thank you for continuing to review on my story! It means a lot to me.

**Bjrit92- **Thanks I also want to thank you for reviewing my story again. People like you, who just leave a quick note to tell me that you like my story really help inspire me to keep writing.

**greekmythgirl- **First off, I love your pen name! I've been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was really little, and I've read a _ton_ of myths. And *groans* I hate homework too! I understand that it's given to help us learn, but come on! We go to school for about 6 hours a day! I (personally) don't want to spend the rest of my day doing homework!


	8. Chapter 8

**I am so sorry for disappearing for so long! I finally got the time to update because I'm on spring break! Yay! This chapter is dedicated to **Marlie Parson**.****Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted-****  
><strong>**Ella: Everyone already knows you didn't write it. There's no need to put a disclaimer.****  
><strong>**Me: Well then...**

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><p>Ella POV<p>

The log popped and groaned, a flurry of sparks flying into the air as it collapsed on itself. The fire flared up, and my face was bathed in golden warmth. The night sky stretched out above us, a velvet blanket dotted with pinpricks of light. I gazed morosely at the dancing flames. A maelstrom of thoughts swirled in my head, making sleep impossible.

A gentle hand on my shoulder startled me out of my reverie. I twisted around to see Noirin. "Are you going to sleep anytime soon?"

"No," I whispered, turning back to the blaze. I heard him exhale, and in my peripheral vision I saw him settle down next to me. We watched the blaze flicker on in companionable silence.

"Do you know the course to Ayortha?" I turned to him, surprised.

"Well enough to get us there. Why?"

"We need to leave as soon as possible, in order to put ground between your prince and his men." I blushed.

"He isn't my prince!" Noirin pointedly ignored me.

"We cannot have them catching us before we reach the cave." He turned to look at me. "I used up great deal of magic trying to prevent your capture, and it has enervated me. I will not be of much use until I have rested. However, we cannot afford to lose time here resting. I can sleep on my horse, but you will need to lead."

"Alright. That much I can do." I rose from the log, and grabbed Lafaria's golden tack as I made my way over to the steeds. As I fastened her saddle, I noticed Noirin had silently risen from his spot by the fire and was saddling his mount as well. I mounted, and rode Lafaria over to the fire.

"Hold this." He handed me his stallion's reins, and snagged a canteen from his saddle pack. He disappeared into the trees, the shadows shrouding him like a cloak. He returned a moment later, and showered the flames with water. The fire hissed and smoked, and was silent. Noirin stomped on the embers to make sure they were dead, and kicked the debris of the forest floor on top, hiding the evidence of our camp. I silently handed him his reins. He mounted, and kicked his horse into a canter. I followed behind him, and the shadows of the night engulfed us.

Char POV

Bertram and I were returning from hunting when Aubrey's squire, Dante, came running up to me.

"Sire, Aubrey sent me to find you. There are pixies on the horses."

"Pixies?" My mother used to tell me and my sister stories about magical creatures before the twins were born. I remembered that pixies loved horses, often stealing them for a ride, or putting tangled braids in their manes. "Are they stealing the horses?"

"No, Sire. Aubrey just wants your input before they do anything."

"Tell Aubrey they are not to be aggravated, but he should insist that they leave our horses be. Tell him I will be there momentarily." Bertram and I dropped off our catch, and went to where we had left the horses.

The horses were skittish, prancing and snorting as the men tried to soothe them. Their manes were full of tiny braids, with the occasional flower or leaf. "Sire," Aubrey saluted me. I nodded in return.

"Did we lose any horses?"

"No, Sire."

"What about the pixies? Did you have any trouble with them?"

"They have no quarrel with us for making them leave, and they understand that we aren't angry with them. I think the horses look quite nice."

"Good." I caught sight of two squires huddled a little distance away.

"It bit me!" one yelped.

"Shake it," the other suggested. I crept over to them, and noticed a squirming pixie in the first squire's hand.

"Unhand me, you brute!" The pixie snarled. The second squire laughed.

"Not until you give us each three wishes!

The pixie straightened indignantly.

"Three wishes?! Three wishes?! What do you take me for, a fairy in one of your tales? I can't grant wishes!" The squire shook her again, and she slumped over the side of his hand.

"Release her at once," I ordered. The squires whipped around in surprise.

"Your Highness, we were just-"

"The pixie wouldn't give us three wishes! We had to-"

"Enough." I stretched out my hand. "Give her to me. Gently." The first squire placed her delicately on my palm. "I will have your knights deal with your behavior. Now get out of my sight." They scampered off as I quietly inspected the tiny being. Her hair was a silvery blonde, and her eyes were a piercing blue. She was clad in a minuscule dress that matched her eyes, and a purple sash hung about her hips. A pair of wings sprouted from her back. They shimmered silver and blue in the morning light. Her beauty, however, was marred by her left wing. The top had been torn off, making it useless.

She glared at me, and climbed to her feet on wobbly legs, one hand clutched around her ruined wing.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly. She turned her back on me, her wings scattering the light across my palm. I went to my horse and gently placed her on his forelock. She sat there, running her hands over his hair. She visibly relaxed, although she still ignored me. "I would like to help you," I continued. "Is there anything I can do?" She turned towards me.

"Who are you?"

"I am Prince Charmont of Kyrria. And who are you?"

"Eisolene of the Ice Pixies. Your boys ripped my wing. It will be months until I can fly again." She stared at me with baleful eyes. "I will not be able to return to my people if I cannot fly. I would be considered an embarrassment and a burden. Therefore, I will be traveling with you until it has regrown."

"Excuse me?"

"I will do my best to not be dead weight. I know some magic." I tilted my head.

"I didn't think pixies had magic." She stuck out her tongue.

"Well, you thought wrong. Pixies have, and I know this will sound cliché, nature magik." I sighed, massaging my temples. I couldn't leave her here- it was our fault that she was injured. Besides, having a pixie in my entourage may help with the search for Ella.

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><p><strong>I noticed the other day that this story has now been up for a year. So I want to thank everyone that's reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. I'm trying to make an update schedule, but I'm really busy with school.<strong>

**Bjrit92- **Thanks! I tried to make this chapter longer. I honestly just haven't had enough time to write chapters and upload. Thanks for your reviews!

**Marlie Parson-** I think you're the only person that didn't think the last chapter was too short The song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" was my favorite when I was little! Thanks for your review, and all the other reviews you've left me!

**Fred and George Weasley Twins-**Thanks for your review! I always loved the Weasley twins.

**Silverstorm- **Thank you! I won't say what's going to end up happening, but your idea is really close!

**Annonimous- **I've decided on my ending Thanks for your review!

**YugiohObsessed- **Thanks for your reviews!

**Nirvana Stone- **I love Beauty too!

**PercyJacksonGirl- **Hmm…writing tips? Well, first of all, always double check your work! And if you can, have someone else check it too! Make sure all of your spelling and grammar is correct. Make sure you have correct punctuation, and you make a new paragraph whenever the speaker changes (like in a conversation). Make sure verb tenses make sense, and you capitalize names. I know these are standard, run-of-the-mill tips that you learned in third grade, but there's a huge difference between pieces with good grammer and bad. Thanks for your review! (This response turned into an essay, didn't it?)

**obsessedwfanfic- **Ella Enchanted was always one of my favorite books growing up, and I didn't like how they changed it with the movie. I mean, it was a good movie, but come on! The only thing they did to the ogres was paint them blue! They changed the entire plot line! I loved reading your review! Thanks!

**riana- **I just haven't had the time to write lately :/ Thanks for your review!

**Guest 1- **I love tigers too! Have you read Tiger's Curse? It's one of my favorite books. Thank you for reviewing!

**Guest 2- **Updated! Thanks for your review!


	9. Please Read!

Hi everyone!

I know, I know, I haven't written in forever! I have a good excuse though! Fanfiction hasn't been working on my computer, so I wasn't able to send out a note to tell you guys why I haven't been uploading new chapters, and it wouldn't let me update my profile either. I put a notice on my tumblr page for everyone who looks there, but I doubt that many people saw it. So, here I am, 3 months later, with a brand new laptop, and a billion chapters to upload! I have them all written down and ready to go. I just need to get Microsoft Word for this laptop, and then they'll be up! BTW, these new chapters include the ending of Running Towards a Dream (sniff) and a brand new story!

Forever and Always,

Phoenixcurse

PS In case you were wondering, my tumblr is phoenixcursepics . tumblr. com (remove the spaces)


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted, then my laptop would have been fixed by elves months ago, and these updates wouldn't be so late.**

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><p>Ella POV<p>

Dear Mandy,

I don't know what to write first. So much has happened since I last worte. First of all, Char is still pursuing me. I honestly thought he would give up by now. He almost caught me once, but Noirin helped me to escape. Do you remember Noirin? I wrote about him when I first left. I can't believe it's been almost three weeks since I left. It's been two weeks since I last saw Char. After Noirin and I ran from him, Noirin was too weak to do much but sleep because of all the magic he had expended trying to help me. One night, a few days after my encounter with Char, bandits attacked our camp. We were able to fight them off, but barely. Noirin collapsed soon after from exhausting his magical reserves, and I was stabbed in the leg during the fight. Don't worry, we found a small town near the border that patched me up, and a kind innkeeper let us rest in his inn for a night, free of charge. We paid him anyway, even though he insisted that he didn't want payment. I'll be fine. The horses are fine too, so I don't have to walk much.

Although I haven't seen Char for two weeks, I hear rumors in the towns we've passed through that the prince of Kyrria is searching for a woman riding to Ayortha on a black horse. The woman is said to be a fairy princess more beautiful than the sun with the power to reason with anyone, even ogres, and her horse is decorated with gems that shine like the stars against the horse's dark coat. It is said she is traveling with a male companion whose skin is tinted green, and he is the master of the elements. The young girls giggle that the prince has fallen in love with the maiden, and he wants her to be his fairy bride. The boys think that he needs her and her companion to help fight the ogres. Really Mandy, it's true! They've turned this whole ordeal into some sort of fairy tale!

But the adults do not look for a fairy princess and her brave companion. They look for a young woman that the prince is searching desperately for, and would do anything to find. He's put a reward for my safe capture! Oh Mandy, I don't know what I'm going to do! Noirin and I can no longer go into town together. One of us has to hide outside the town with the horses while the other goes for supplies.

I do have good news- we've made it to Ayortha! We're so close to the Featherbed. I cannot wait to see Areida again! I hope that we may be able to stay with her for a few days before journeying on to the capitol. Wish me luck Mandy, and I promise to write you quicker next time.

With Love,

Your Ella

I folded up the letter, and set it in the grass besides me. It was early morning, and the sun was just peeking up above the horizon. Everything sparkled with dew, and the air was fresh and clean. I pulled the fairy box Mandy had given me out of my riding bag, and slipped my letter inside. I gently closed the lid, counted to twenty, and looked inside. The letter was gone.

"Ella! It is time for us to move on." Noirin stood next to me, and offered me his hand. "The sun will be completely up soon. It'd be best if we started out now, so we can melt into the everyday traffic that goes into your friend's town." I took his hand and pulled myself to my feet, biting back a groan as pain flared in my leg. Although I had had it treated, and it was healing slowly, it hurt horribly, and if I put too much stress on it or used it too much, it would seep blood. He helped me onto Lafaria, and we resumed our journey.

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><p><strong>Hey guys, I know this chapter is extremely late. Like, really late. I am so, so sorry. *Hides behind overturned table* Please don't kill me! My laptop just keeps on being a jerk, but I got it to work again! Anywhos, I've finally got the means of updating, and so, I'm going to upload the rest of this story. I'll upload maybe one or two more chapters today, and if you guys want me to just upload the rest of the story while I'm at it, just tell me in the reviews. If I get at least 8 reviews saying to upload the rest now, I'll put up the rest of the chapters now, but otherwise I'm just going to upload a new chapter every day until they're done.<strong>

**Forever and Always,**

**Phoenixcurse**

**Review Responses**

**ObsessedwReading**- Thank you! :)

**Thorniko**- Sorry I made you wait so long...I'm not the most patient person either :P And I think you'll see where the story is going soon, since we're making our way to the climax :) Also, thank you for all your reviews throughout the story!

**AnnabethChaseForever-** Hmm...I'll give you a hint; Ella and Noirin don't die outside the cave. And once someone's dead, there's no magic in the world that can bring them back. (Unless, of course, you're Snow White and the cause for your death is a piece of poisoned apple in your throat, and, miraculously, when you're kissed the apple piece is dislodged and you come back to life).

**Marlie Parson-** A fanfictioner never reviews late, Marlie Parson. They review preciesly when they mean to (Get the reference? Get it? :) Maybe?). And I like Eisolene too :) She has a pretty big role in the future.

**booklover450-** Aww, thanks! :3

**Julia-** Ah, angst. Who doesn't love a good ol' fairy tale chase?

**Scropie-** Well...I updated. It wasn't exactly soon though...anyway, thanks for your review!

**Echobaby123-** DON'T DIE! I UPDATED! I UPDATED!

**Rosie-** Your wish is granted. Here's a new chapter!

**loiskim39-** Thank yooooooooou :3 When I first read your review, I melted into a puddle of happy goo (hey, that rhymed!).

**SeaweedBrain'sWiseGurl393-** Thank you for your review! :)

**KindaWishIWasAnnabeth-** Fear not, the next chapters are here!


	11. Chapter 10

**Well, guess who's internet died right after she uploaded the last chapter :P Why does internet hate me?!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted, I'd invite all you lovely readers to dinner at a giant's farm.**

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><p>Ella POV<p>

"Look! Noirin, look!" I laughed, and twisted in the saddle. "We made it! We've actually made it to Amonta!" The small town lay in front of us after, just out of the forest. I held in tears of utter happiness as I stared at it. Areida lived there. I could apologize to her. I could renew our friendship. And just past this quaint town, lay my saviour for my curse. I was so close! I could practically hear my freedom whispering in the air around me.

And then my heart dropped.

A young man was riding towards us, with a dog trotting by his side. I could tell, even with the distance between us, that he was nobility. His clothes were too bright to be peasant's clothing, and the way he held himself gave it away. All my euphoria drained away, and I felt like it had left a cold, hard rock in the pit of my stomach. If he was a noble, he was sure to have heard about Char's search for me. I briefly considered hiding, or riding the other way, but decided against it- running away would be too suspicious. My best chance was to continue on by him, and hope he didn't recognize me.

I drew in a deep breath, and kicked Lafaria back into a trot. I clenched the reins tightly, and Noirin glanced over at me, probably wondering why I was so tense. I tried to tell relax, telling myself that I was overthinking this, and that I was paranoid- I was in a different country, there was a high chance that-

"Woah there!" the man called out in a Ayorthan. We stopped our horses, and I closed my eyes. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your travels, but I've been searching for a young woman-" The breath whooshed out of me. It was over. The man was clearly a noble, and he probably had knights in Amonta. I could try to outrun them, but I was unfamiliar with the terrain, and would most likely get lost. The young man eyed me.

"She's probably about your height, probably larger, with dark hair, and very pale skin." He hadn't recognized me! The young man continued on. "She has very red lips, and an amazing voice."

"What's her name?" Noirin asked. I glared at him, and he raised an eyebrow at me. The young man sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. I studied his face he looked exhausted.

"She's called Aza. Up until a little while ago she was Queen Ivi's lady-in-waiting, but she was accused of misleading the queen and being partially an ogre. However, she disappeared the very night they put her in prison- I've been looking for her ever since. She's-" he paused, searching for the right words "-very special to me." My heart went out to this stranger, and a pang of guilt and pain flashed through me. I wondered if this was how Char was reacting to my disappearance, but unwilling to follow that train of thought, I pushed it to the back of my mind. "She grew up here, so I came here to see if she may have returned, or if her family knew where she was." I smiled at him.

"We're actually heading into Amonta. One of my old friends from finishing school lives here, and we were hoping to get a nights rest with her. Why don't you join us?"

"I suppose I could stay a night," he mused. He turned his horse so it was walking alongside our's. "Oochoo!" The dog followed us. As we rode through the streets, he sang softly under his breath- a song about cloudless skies. We rode until I spotted a sign that read Featherbed. The man glanced up at the sign, and a sad smile spilled across his face.

"This is the inn I was just at." I stared at him. That meant that Areida's sister was the one that had gone missing? We handed our horses to a young boy, and walked in. Several people milled about. A couple was singing as they cleaned- Areida's parents, I assumed. The other people in the room seemed to be speaking excitedly about something. In the corner, a girl was sweeping. I gasped.

"Areida?" My voice quivered- I had missed her so much. She looked up from her broom, and looking around the room. "Areida!" I called louder. She spotted me, and her broom clattered to the floor. Her hands flew to her mouth, and for a moment, she just stared at me.

"Ella?" She took a shaky step forward, and then another. "Ella!" She flew to me, and threw her arms around my waist. "Oh Ella, I missed you so much! After you left, your sisters told me that you'd been eaten by ogres, and I thought you were dead! And then the Kyrrian prince came through, and he told me that you'd married- is this him?" She turned to Noirin, for the first time noticing my company. She gasped again, and sank into a low curtsy. "Your Majesty! Did you forget something?" The occupants of the room had also noticed our presence, and prostrated themselves. I turned, confused.

"Your Highness?" The man grinned sheepishly.

"I guess I never introduced myself. I am Prince Ijori of Ayortha, and I take it you are Ella?" I blushed, and sank into a curtsey.

"Please forgive me Your Highness, I wasn't aware of your identity." He laughed akwardly.

"No, no, please, it was entirely my fault. Oh- please rise," he added hastily, and everyone straightened. Areida's parents came over to us.

"Prince Ijori, did you leave something behind?" He shook his head.

"No, I decided to stay the night before moving on tomorrow." They bowed again. "We will prepare the Peacock Rooms for you then." Areida seized my hands.

"I'm so happy to see you again! Did you really get captured by ogres? And what of your husband?" I shook my head.

"I'm not married, and yes, I was captured by ogres, but I was able to escape with help from Cha- Prince Charmont," I amended quickly, noticing Ijori's eyes were on me. "Why don't we go sit down, and I'll tell you the whole story?" I suggested. She led me to a table, and we sat down.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Ijori's voice came from behind us. Areida beckoned for him to sit down, and he joined us. I told them the story, downplaying my relationship with Char and my servitude. There was no point in trying to hide what my family had done to me- Areida knew what they were like, and would have been able to pick out the truths from the lies. However, I changed the end to my story- I told them I had run away, and decided to come here to see he, and that I had met Noirin on the way. By the end of my tale, Prince Ijori's face was stoney, and Areida was seething, ready to burst.

"Those...those witches!" She blurted. "You should have told me, I would have rescued her! Or you could have asked Prince Charmont- are you two still friends?" I stared at my hands.

"I don't know anymore," I answered softly. "We haven't had an actual conversation in...a long time. A guest called for food just then, and Areida rose, still fuming, and went off to serve him. I could feel Ijori's eyes on me, and I kept mine on my hands.

"You ran from him, didn't you?" My head snapped up, and our eyes met. He looked at me sadly.

"What?" My voice cracked. He sighed.

"Just like Aza ran from me. Did you get in trouble with the nobility too?" His perceptiveness amazed me, and I decided to confide in him.

"No. My situation is…" I struggled to find the words, "...a bit...different from yours. You see he...I...well, he, he fancied me, I guess, and...he was going to propose." A tear ran down my face."

"Did you not love him?" I laughed dryly.

"I wish it were that simple. There's...something, something that's nearly impossible to remove between us, and if we ignored it, then all of Kyrria would be at stake." I stared down at my hands again. "So, I tried to leave...but he chased me." I looked back at him. He smiled at me empathetically.

"That sounds a lot like my situation as well, except, I'm the prince doing the chasing, not the girl doing the running." I smiled, and an idea struck me.

"Why don't you write her a letter?" He looked at me strangely.

"A letter?" I nodded enthusiastically.

"That way, if she comes back, or her parents find where she is, you can tell her you're sorry." His eyes brightened, and smiled at me.

"That's a brilliant idea! However-" He wiggled a finger at me "-you must write a letter as well." I stared at him, confused. "To your prince, so that if he- which I very strongly believe that he will- comes after you, he knows how you feel about this whole situation." My heart skipped a beat, and then began to race. That had never occurred to me. I could write Char a letter! I could tell him to stop chasing me. I could explain that I'd return soon, and that we could talk then. I felt a weight rise off my chest, and I grinned at the prince across from me.

"Deal."

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><p><strong>Okay, so I'm trying very, very hard to get all the chapters up (as I have been for the past few weeks :P) but my internet is being mean and making it very, very hard. So I'm just gonna keep working at it until I've got them all up. I also won't be responding to any more reviews until I get all the chapters up. So thank you for reading this story, and the rest is coming!<strong>


	12. Chapter 11

**Sad music is very good when writing.**

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><p>Ijori and I sat in a comfortable silence, each of us composing our letters. At least, he was. I could hear his quill scratching against the paper. I stared at my blank piece of parchment, trying to come up with how to start the letter. I smiled wanly as I remembered the last time I had had this problem- my circumstances had been so different then! Beginning with 'Char' sounded too informal, and I didn't want to start it with 'Dearest Char', or 'My Love'. 'Dear Char' and 'Prince Charmont' were to formal. I bit my lip, trying to decide what to write.<p>

_Dear Char,_

What came next?

_If you are reading this letter, chances are that you are still chasing after me._

I grimaced. I was making it sound like he was some desperate beau, that I had long ago rejected.

_Areida told me _(actually, it had been my fairy book)_ that you've been here before. Do you remember? You were on your way home to Kyrria, and I assume you had received the letter about my 'marriage' by the way you bit out my name, and that I was married. I'm so sorry that I lied to you. Yes, if you haven't discovered my deception yet, I wrote that letter, of my own free will, the letter written in my hand and the one in Hattie's._

Even though it had nearly killed me to write it.

_Please, please forgive me. I had to give you a reason to push me away, to forget about me, and being married off and pretending that I had been toying with your emotions seemed the best way. I am so, so sorry._

Now came the hardest part.

_I know I owe you an explanation. You don't deserve all this deception. You are good and kind, and I know you will make a wonderful ruler of Kyrria. I, however, am a danger. If I become too close to you and your family, I could be the cause of your death, or the reason Kyrria falls into enemy hands. I can't ever put you at that risk- put Kyrria at that risk. I can't explain why, but please, trust me. If I can't protect you from myself, then I can't be near you. I'm trying to find a way to solve this problem, but if I can't, I will never return to Kyrria. And I want you to go home. Go home, forget about me, and maybe, one day, we'll see each other again. And I hope if we meet again, we can be friends._

_Love,_

_Ella_

_P.S. I don't think I'm quite old enough to marry yet._

I set down the quill and sighed. It would do. Ijori stayed hunched over his own composition for a moment longer, before straightening. He smiled at me. "Done?" I nodded.

"Yes." I folded up my letter, and wrote 'Prince Charmont' on it. "Now what?"

"Why don't we give them to Areida for safekeeping, and then sleep?" I grinned, then stretched.

"That sounds marvelous. I haven't slept in a bed for weeks."

Char POV

"We're close." I peered at the tiny pixie in front of me. Eisolene was perched between my horse's ears, her wings shimmering under the moonlight.

"You're sure?" She turned, and gave me a scathing look.

"No, I was just informing you that we've almost reached the moon." I sighed, exhausted.

"Steven!" I called. Said knight slowed his horse until it was next to mine. "Are there any towns nearby?"

"Yes Sire. There's a small town that we stayed at the last time we passed through Ayortha, when we were returning to Kyrria after your time here. There was a quaint inn that we stayed at...what was it called?" He scratched at his head for a moment. "Ah yes, the Featherbed! Quite a nice little place, if I recall correctly they had wonderful ostumo and hart with firepeppers. Have I told you…" I drowned him out. If I remembered correctly, the Featherbed was where Ella's friend Areida lived. Perhaps she could aide us in our hunt. I turned to see Eisolene swaying slightly.

"Are you alright?" I exclaimed, alarmed. She nodded.

"Just...a side effect...from using so much magik. I'm...not used to using...this much for...this long." She tilted her head so she was looking up at me. "When we reach the inn...could you please...get me something cold? Preferably ice?" I nodded.

"Alright men, we're going to sleep in beds tonight!" I called, and the knights cheered. "Sir Stephen, do you mind leading?"

"Not at all," he said with a cheerful smile. He winked at Eisolene. "Keep up the good work, little miss!" She huffed, and crossed her arms. I watched as he rode to the front, before turning back to Eisolene.

"So why ice?" She stared at me disapprovingly, then shook her head and sighed.

"I suppose it cannot be helped. You kind knows almost nothing of my people. I am an Ice pixie. This means Ice is my element. It heals and strengthens me. There are also Fire pixies, Water pixies, Light pixies, Life pixies, Air pixies, and Earth pixies."

"What are the differences between Light and Fire pixies?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Light and heat are different, no? The Lights are sunlight, moonlight, candlelight- brightness. The Fire are warmth; fires, sparks, and the heat generated by blankets and such."

"Do the pixies have a ruler?" She smiled, the first I'd seen in my three weeks with her.

"Yes. The ruler is the Breynigur. They rule over all the pixies, and their...consort, I guess, is called the FthwaSin. Males and females can hold either position. The Breynigur is a special type of pixie, called the Fae. Your kind, when our types were closer, took Fae and made it a new name for pixies and fairies. We found this very offensive, and a divide formed between us. The fairies, however, were pleased and felt honored to be grouped with us, and that is how the first friends of fairies came to be. Fae are born when the last Breynigur is ready to die. The new Fae is born, from one of the groups of pixies, Fire, Water, etc, and the last Breynigur bestows their magic upon the newborn. The old Breynigur then dies, and the Ice fairies raise the new Breynigur."

"That's fascinating. You have a whole history and culture that we don't even know of." Eisolene looked smug.

"Yes. There are many creatures that the humans are unaware of. It's amazing how little you see."

"I have a question. Why do the Ice pixies raise the Bray-neigur?"

"Breynigur," she corrected. "The Ice are Alayd. In your language, I think the word is noble? The Ice are the descendants of the Breynigur. For when a Breynigur has a child, the child is neither Fae, or in line to become a Breynigur. The child is Ice, the closet magik to Fae. That is why we wear a purple sash- we are of the closest blood to the Breynigur, and if the Breynigur were to die without there being a new one, the Goddess would bestow the Fae upon one of the Ice."

"I see. Do you mind telling me more about your people?" She smiled at me, and nodded a bit.

"Yes. I may have misjudged you at first, human prince. I thought you would be like all the other humans, but you are the first to ask me about my people." We talked, and I even got her to laugh on the way to the inn. By the time we reached it, the moon was high overhead.

"I'll go in and ask if they have any open rooms," Aubrey said, and he walked in. He came out a few minutes later and told us they had room enough. I offered my hand to Eisolene. She carefully stepped off of my horse, and onto my palm. As I lifted it, she clutched to my thumb for support. I held my hand by my shoulder, and she stepped delicately off. She settled next to my neck, and held onto my collar. As I walked into the inn, I felt her stiffen, and she yanked on my collar.

"Are you alright?" When she didn't reply, I gently picked her up, and placed her on a table next to me. "Eisolene, are you alright?"

"Is that the Kyrrian Prince?" I heard the innkeeper ask one of my knights. I noticed that my worry and Eisolene's current state had not gone unoticed by my knights. They moved restlessly, and watched her over my shoulder. She was trembling, and I could see a faint sheen of magik in her eyes.

"She's here." And with that, she fainted. I stared at her limp body blankly. After a moment, my mind slowly began to process what she had said.

"She's here," I said softly. She was here. Ella was here. Ella was here! "She's here!" I repeated louder. I turned around. "Is there a young maiden named Ella here? Tell me!" I demanded in Ayorthan. The innkeeper looked frightened.

"Y-yes, I believe so…oh! Prince Charmont!" He scurried behind the counter. "You are Prince Charmont, correct?"

"Yes, and what of it?" I snapped impatiently. I knew I was being the epitemy of a royal brat, but for all I knew, Ella, was escaping out a window. The innkeeper winced.

"The young lady wrote this letter for you." I seized it, and read it. It confused me, to say the least. However, I didn't give a damn about how dangerous she seemed to think she was. Living with her and and possibly being killed by her hand was better than my parents making a match for me that would leave me miserable for the rest of my life.

"Find her! Search this entire inn!"

Ella POV

"Ella. _Ella!_"

"What," I groaned groggily. Someone was shaking me. I cracked open my eyes to see Ijori. He smiled grimly.

"Your prince is here." I was up in a flash, grabbing my things. Ijori went to the window, and pried it open. "Noirin is getting the horses ready," he continued. He flashed a smile in my direction. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll be joining you."

"Wonderful." I closed my bag, and ran to the window. He raised a brow as he studied me.

"You wear your riding clothes to bed?" I shrugged.

"I didn't bring much with me when I ran." I tossed my bag out first, and began to clamber out when the door banged open. I turned, wide-eyed, to see a knight in the doorway.

"I found her!"

"Go, go!" Urged Ijori. HeI slid out the window, with him right behind. He let out a whistle, and Oochoo came barreling towards us from nowhere. I heard the knight calling,

"She's running! Head for the horses!" I sprinted towards the stables, and almost crashed into Noirin. There was a strange glint of glee in his eyes as he handed me Lafaria.

Char POV

"She's running! Head for the horses!" The cry echoed through the inn. I tore through the hall, pausing to take Eisolene from the knight watching her and place her in my shirt pocket. I sprinted out of the inn to see three figures galloping away. I grit my teeth and grabbed my horse. I swung myself up and galloped after them, pushing my horse- he was still warm, and eager to go despite all of the hard riding we had done. I was not going to let her slip away again.

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><p><strong>And I think this is all that I'm going to be able to update today. Also, I know I said that I wouldn't be responding to reviews, but I have to applaud SmellofRoses for getting a review in within 10 minutes of the chapter going up!<strong>


	13. Chapter 12

**Beep beep boop.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned enchanted, my network server would be a unicorn, and I would just go for a ride whenever I wanted to do something, like upload the whole story in one go.**

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><p>Ella POV<p>

"Into the forest!" Ijori commanded. I immediately responded by pulling Lafaria in a sharp turn, cutting off Noirin who nearly collided into me.

"Don't tell her what to do!" Noirin yelled at him.

"What?"

"Don't give her any commands! If you need to tell her to do something, phrase it as a suggestion so she doesn't kill me!" Ijori shrugged, and turned into the forest after me.

"Ok, so we are going to ride straight until you reach two trees that intertwine high off the ground. Then we need to go left, and ride straight until we reach the mountains!" We flew through the night, the distant sounds for Char's horse fading away. As we neared the mountains, we slowed to first a walk, and then a brisk trot. Ijori looked over his shoulder.

"I think we lost him." I breathed a shaky sigh of relief, glancing over my shoulder, and turned forwards again.

"Thank you." Ijori smiled down at me. I sighed, glancing back in the direction we'd come from.

"This is the second time I've disappeared on Areida like this." Ijori smiled reassuringly at me.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you. She seems like a very kind person. Has your entire...trip been like this?"

"No, there was a lull in the action for about three weeks. I couldn't find hide nor tail of her," Char stated dryly. I stared at him incomprehensibly. How had he gotten in front of us? I glanced to the side. Noirin signaled for us to move, and fast. I prepared to kick Lafaria into a gallop, trying to move slowly so that Char wouldn't notice. That plan failed however, when pain shot up my leg from the wound I had gotten, and my hand shot down to it. He turned, and upon seeing my hand gripping my leg, he began to walk over. I tugged at the reins, pulling Lafaria backwards as he approached.

"Stop." His voice was quiet, and continued his way towards me. The curse placed me in lockdown. I couldn't move. He finally reached my side, and tried to pry my hand from my leg. "Let me see it," he order. Slowly, I pulled my hand away, staring at my bloodstained clothes. His face softened, and I saw an emotion flicker across his eyes. Anger? Pity? Disgust? He touched it gently, and retracted it as I hissed in pain. "What happened?"

"A bandit raid, about two, three weeks ago." Noirin's voice seemed to remind Char that we were not alone. He looked up at my companions. His eyes narrowed when he saw Noirin, most likely recalling the last time he had seem him. When he spotted Ijori, his eyes widened in shock.

"Ijori? What are you doing with Ella?" Ijori shrugged, and winked at me.

"We're both in a similar situation, my friend," he explained. "I am merely accompanying her while we attempt to reach our goals." He looked over at me and grinned. "Although it would seem your prince was able to catch you," he chuckled in Ayorthian, although his eyes held a glint of sadness.

"Well, I am afraid that you will no longer be able to enjoy her company, as she will be returning to Kyrria with me," Char snarled at him. With that, something within me snapped.

"I will not be returning with you," I hissed at him. He whipped around to stare at me. "You do not own me, Char. You may be my prince, but that does not make me some object that you may take here and there as you please. Now, please let me continue. You may not have realized it, but I am actually on a quest, and it is of high importance that I see it through to its end." I glared at him. His face was shocked, and I could see that I had hurt him. I felt guilty, but before I could say anything, he rearranged his face so it was expressionless and cold.

"Fine. But I will be joining you on your journey," he stated coldly, and strode off to his horse. My mouth dropped open, and I was about to protest him joining us, when Ijori rode to my side.

"Drop it," he whispered. "It's better if he joins us than hunts us down again." I grit my teeth and glared at Char's retreating back.

"Fine." He gazed at me sadly.

"Don't be so harsh on him. Remember, the reason he followed you all the way here is because he cares." With that, he spurred his horse forward, pulling up to Char's. Noirin rode up along me.

"Ella, let's go. Move," he commanded quietly. I felt control return to my limbs, and I kicked Lafaria into a walk.

Char POV

Damn, I messed that up so bad. That was my chance to win her back, convince her to come back with me, and I had probably destroyed whatever feelings she still had for me. As I sat there brooding, I heard someone pull up next to me. I looked up, and found Ijori riding there. He sat there in silence, looking ahead. "What did you mean earlier, 'except it would seem your prince was able to catch you?'" I asked, suddenly recalling his words. He smiled wistfully as continued staring straight ahead.

"So you understood what I said, huh?" He sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. The longer I looked at him, the more exhausted he seemed. He turned his head towards me, tilting it slightly. "Our situations are very similar, Char. Except, it's my fault she's out there, instead of safe at home." He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You're lucky you found her." I looked back to see Ella riding behind us next to Noirin, her head bowed. I felt immensely guilty for acting like such a royal brat. I just wanted to see her smile and laugh, like she had before I had gone to Ayortha. Neither of us could have guessed the outcome of that trip, and after the letter I had received informing me of her 'marriage', I didn't think I'd ever see her again. But here she was. Here I was. Why couldn't things be as simple as they were before?

"Once you lose something, it's hard to get it back," Ijori whispered. I nodded grimly. We rode in silence for a small while. I felt something rustling in my pocket. Eisolene! I had completely forgotten about her! A small hand appeared at the top of the pocket, and she pulled herself to the brim. I offered her my hand, and she climbed on, settling on my shoulder. Ijori stared at her.

"What?" she snapped, glaring at him. "If you lived off fruits instead of your barbaric diet of meat, then maybe you could look as good as me." He laughed startled, his eyes darting to me.

"Eisolene, this is the Prince Ijori of Ayortha. Ijori, this is Eisolene of the Ice. Eisolene is a pixie." Ijori nodded slowly, his eyes drifting back to Eisolene.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Eisolene."

"And a pleasure to meet you as well," she responded coldly. We rode in quiet for a few minutes.

"Did you help Char find Ella, Eisolene?" Ijori asked, breaking the silence. She huffed.

"Of course I did." His eyes grew a bit brighter.

"Would you perhaps help me find someone as well?" She gave him a scathing look.

"Do I look like a hunting dog to you? No, I cannot and will not. The only reason I am traveling with this human prince is that his followers ripped my wing, and if my people were to find out that it was ripped by a careless human, I would be shunned. Besides, I can only sense those with magical blood. Ella is a friend of the fairies, so I helped Charmont find her in exchange for him caring for me until my wing is fixed." Ijori seemed to deflate under her harsh tone, and I mouthed an apology when he looked at me.

"So, do you know where we are going?" I inquired. Ijori shrugged.

"No idea. But when I talked to Ella, she told me that there was something that was keeping the two of you apart. I assume we are going to fix that problem." I mulled this over in my head. She had told me something similar in her letter. Perhaps this meant at least our friendship would be alright. Eisolene studied me with her pale blue eyes.

"There is something off about her." She turned back to look at Ella. "There's more magic about her than there should be. She's just a friend of the fairies, so there shouldn't be that much magic on her." Her eyes narrowed as she studied Ella. "Something is definitely not right about her." I followed her gaze and watched Ella as she talked with Noirin. She turned, and we made brief eye contact before she turned back to him. I shook my head, facing forwards. "What then? You think she can use magic too?" She snorted and faced forwards again.

"Don't be daft. Humans can't use magic." We fell into silence again.

"Halt!" The call echoed in the forest around us as Noirin issued the order. "We're here." He turned to Ella. "Do you still have the ornament that will allow us passage into the cave. Ella nodded, digging around in her bag, and pulled out a small wooden object.

"It's a dragon," Eisolene murmured. "And it's dripping with magic."

"Do you think that's the magic you were sensing on her then?" She shook her head.

"No, it isn't." Noirin took the dragon, and disappeared into the trees with it. He reappeared a moment later with four other creatures that looked like him. Three of them had curling horns of various sizes, and the fourth did not. They said something in a low, raspy language. He responded in the same language.

"They will hold the horses for us while we go inside the cave," Noirin translated. "But only four of us may enter."

"I'll wait out here," Ijori volunteered. I nodded, and began to dismount.

"Do you know what they are?" I asked quietly gesturing towards the creatures that appeared to be the of the same race as Noirin. Ijori shrugged.

"They are Delvera," Eisolene said in a low voice. She hesitated, then turned towards Ijori. "Think gnome. Not ogre." His face paled.

"What?" She averted her eyes.

"Think of it like this; they're half gnome, not ogre." I felt completely lost. It appeared that Eisolene was describing the Delvera, but based off of Ijori's facial expressions, I knew that I was missing some hidden meaning. Eisolene tilted her head towards a mountain a bit farther down in the range. "I believe that there is actually a gnome city over there. I hear they are very hospitable to those seeking refuge." Ijori's face filled with hope, and he laughed loudly.

"I'm sorry Ella, Char, Noirin, Eisolene- I'll be leaving our merry band now. I wish you all safe travels. Char," he grasped my shoulder, smiling at me, "I'll be seeing you soon. Eisolene, I sincerely hope to see you again." He rode over to Ella and Noirin, said his goodbyes, and then galloped off in the direction of the mountain Eisolene had gestured to. I looked down at Eisolene, who had a smug little smile on her face.

"What was that all about?" I asked, amused. She grinned up at me, and I could hear laughter bubbling up as she spoke.

"Nothing. I haven't the foggiest clue why he had that reaction to my description of the Delvera. Shall we go in the cave now?"

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><p><strong>And that's the end of another chapter! I've recently been home sick, and I was rewatching some episodes of Doctor Who. I rewatched the last one with Rose, and it made me all sad and depressed :( I came up with an alternate ending for that episode, so expect a one-shot of that episode sometime in the future.<strong>


	14. Chapter 13

**Quick note to clear up any confusion: Magic is regular magic, like a fairy would cast, or spells from a wizard, or a unicorn. Magik is elemental magic, like being able to do magic by control ice, for example.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ella Enchanted, I would have Char do my homework for me.**

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><p>Ella's POV<p>

The cave walls glistened in the torchlight, shimmering and reflecting the light with a purple hue. Our party was silent, following behind the guard. The sound of our footsteps echoed in the otherwise silent shaft we were traveling down. The quiet unnerved me. I shifted so I was closer to the center of our group, hoping to find some comfort in being closer to my companions. Moving inevitably brought me next to Char, however. We walked together in silence. Our hands would occasionally brush, and each time I would pull my hand closer to my side, until Char reached out and took a hold of it. I frowned, and tried tugging it back, but he ignored me and tightened his grip. His hand was warm and comforting, and I found myself unconsciously gripping it like a lifeline.

He looked down at me, eyes worried. I could only bring myself to meet his gaze for a moment, before dropping my eyes. I wanted to move away from him. I wanted to let go of his hand. I couldn't be doing this, even if I was only holding his hand. I shouldn't. If this didn't work, I would still be cursed. And if I had to say goodbye to him again, small moments like this would make it a thousand times harder.

But despite these thoughts, I didn't let go of his hand. Its familiar shape, the roughness of his skin, the way it enveloped mine- it was comforting, it was my anchor in this dark place. I could sense magic radiating from every part of the tunnel, and I could tell his pixie friend could as well. She was in his pocket, with a grim expression, studying the walls intently. We marched slowly forward, farther and farther down into the earth.

I don't know how long we had walked when I noticed the magical power was increasing. It pressed against me, and with every step I took it pushed a little harder. I glanced around; it didn't seem to be affecting anyone else. The pressure slowly became painful, and then intolerable. I grimaced, and forced myself to keep moving forward. I felt a gentle weight settle on my shoulder, and upon turning my head, I discovered Eisolene had perched there. "You feel it too, don't you?" She stared at me with her icy eyes. "The pressure?" I nodded, glancing at Char.

"Do you know what it is?" I asked quietly. She shook her head.

"What it is? It is a very ancient magik. Almost or as old as Fae, the oldest pixie magik. But I do not know what the source is."

"Can the others feel it?"

"No. They do not have magic in their blood. Being a pixie, I have magik, so of course I can feel it. And you...you are a friend of the fairies, yes?" I nodded. "There is too much magic around you for you to just be a friend of the fairies. Perhaps you are a first cousin of one?" she mused.

The gravely voice of the guard floated towards us. "He is saying that we are almost there," Noirin translated. The guard continued speaking. "He is only going as far as the entrance. We will enter the cavern on our own." I could see a soft glow coming from what I presumed to be the end of the tunnel. As we approached it, the golden light grew, creeping closer and closer. The pressure grew too, until it became completely unbearable. Eisolene crumpled with a groan, and toppled off of my shoulder. I barely managed to catch her before I too fell down, the magik squeezing my brain. Char caught me with an alarmed shout. He took Eisolene from my hand, and gently placed her in his pocket, before turning to me. He helped me sit up, where I sat, dazed.

"What happened?!" Concern danced in his eyes. I pushed myself to my feet, and forced myself to take another step forward.

"I'm fine," I ground out, making myself take another unsteady step forwards and nearly falling over again. He reached out a hand to help me, but I brushed it off. "I'm fine!" I hissed, moving forwards. I would not let this stop me. I would make it to the cavern. I would meet this phoenix, prove myself worthy, and rid myself of this curse. I struggled forwards a few more steps before I felt my feet fly off the ground, and found myself in Char's arms. I struggled against him. "Put me down!" I snapped at him. "I'm fine!" He ignored me, and continued walking forwards. "Char, I can walk, put me down!"

"No."

"No?"

"No." I stared at him for a moment, before huffing and crossing my arms.

We finally reached the mouth of the cavern. The guard stopped, turning and saying something to Noirin.

"He will wait out here for us. If he feels that something is wrong or harming the phoenix, then he will not hesitate to kill us." I looked up at Char.

"Please put me down. I can stand." He hesitated, before slowly putting me down. I kept a hand on his shoulder to steady myself. "Noirin, how do you say 'thank you' in your language?"

"It is Dahnuit-Sah," he replied, his cold eyes glittering in the light.

"Thank you." I smiled appreciatively at him, before my gaze slid to the entrance. I approached it, stopping briefly to thank our guide. I hesitated at the entrance, turning back to my companions. "Shall we go in?" Char reached down and took a hold of my hand again, smiling at me encouragingly.

"Let's go."

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><p><strong>Sorry for not updating in forever! This school year is really killing me, especially with APs, after school activities, and I was out a lot being out sick, and I had a concussion :P But here's a new chapter! I know it's kinda short, but I didn't have much time so I'll update the next part asap! I also wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 90 REVIEWS! When I started this story, it being my first story and all I thought I'd be lucky to get 10, but 90?! You guys are the best! Thank you so much for supporting this story. As I said a few chapters ago I'm not going to respond to any reviews until I'm done this story, and then I'll post an update with just responses. THANK YOU AGAIN! :D<strong>


	15. Update

Hey everybody,

I'm sorry, but no, this isn't a new chapter. I feel absolutely horrible about not updating in so long, but since I last updated I've had some pretty serious health issues, and missed a lot of school because of them, so all of my extra time has been used to make up work. I have managed to put together most of the next chapter, so I'll hopefully have that up by the end of the week (I've got AP tests, so don't expect it before Thursday). Sorry again, and thank you for sticking with me an this story.

-phoenixcurse


	16. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: If I owned **_**Ella Enchanted**_**, I would have had Lucinda let Ella keep the carriage until around one or two instead of twelve, so she could have listened to Char sing during the third ball- I wonder what he would have sounded like?**

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><p>Ella POV<p>

I gripped Char's hand tightly, and together we walked into the mouth of the cavern. It was made of the same reflective stone as the tunnel we had walked through. The magik in the air was nearly tangible, a pulsing force. The pressure it created was still present, but it was more tolerable now that we had entered a more open area. A small stream of water flowed lazily around the edge of the space, and then disappeared back into the earthen walls. In the center of the cavern stood an uneven pillar of stone that reached from the floor to the roof. In its center sat a large crystal, reflecting the light of an unknown source, sending radiant colors dancing along the walls. We were silent, taking in the simple majesty of the room, before the silence was gently broken by Eisolene. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "but I thought we were searching for a phoenix. I do not see one." I started; she was right. There was no living creature besides our group in the mystical little cove.

"The Phoenix is not a bird," Noirin hissed. "The Phoenix sits before us, in his throne of earth." I followed his gaze to the auroral crystal, a bright spot against the stone. "The Phoenix was once a nature god, the greatest of his kind. The Delvera worshiped him. He was honest and fair, and earned the name of Phoenix by shining brighter than the sun, and because he was always isolated. Although he was powerful, he one day fought with an enemy of the same caliber, and the battle killed them both. His form turned to ash, but his spirit, his power and consciousness, became the crystal you see before you today." I turned to face the stone again.

"How can I communicate with him?" I whispered, my stomach coiling in fear. Noirin's slitted eyes flickered to me, before he shook his head, and his gaze drifted back to the stone.

"I doubt the great Phoenix shall communicate with you. You are but human. The Delvera are the Chosen Race." He sniffed disdainfully. "All one must do to communicate with him is lay their hand upon his soul." I took a shaky breath, and, hands trembling, I stepped forward, and stretched out my arm to touch the stone. I tentatively lay my hand on it, and a ripple of feelings that weren't my own washed over me. The stone was cool and smooth, and I could feel it laughing, as clearly as if I was listening to it. I worried my lip between my teeth, wondering how to proceed. I searched for a greeting that would be appropriate for the soul of a forest god. A fleeting thought of Manner's Mistress flicked through my mind, and chuckled as I considered her greeting a god. Steeling myself, I hesitantly began to speak. "Good day, sir," I began shakily. I could feel the crystal's rumbling laughter again, and I wondered if I had erred in my greeting. Suddenly a great voice, as clear and bold as a great bell roared through my head.

"Greetings, child. I see you have journeyed far to see me." The great voice laughed again, the sound growing ever louder, like a thousand rocks grinding together. I glanced behind me at my companions. Eisolene was clutching her head, staring at the stone, and Noirin was watching me through slitted eyes. Char however, was watching me curiously, and I realized that he was the only one who could not hear the voice. "That is correct, child," the voice rumbled. "Only those with magic in their blood can speak to me and hear my voice."

"O-oh," I stammered, shocked that the god could hear my thoughts.

"Now, child," he rumbled, "why have you sought me?" I opened my mouth to speak, and a chill shot through my body. My eyes widened in terror as I realized something that numbed me to the core. My mother's order still held firm. It had not ceased to exist when Idjnoir had spoken to me of it and had me tell him of my curse. Tears began to leak from my eyes as I stood there, unmoving, my mouth slightly agape. I had come all this way. All this way, only to be stopped from achieving my goal by one of the people most dear to me. I took a shaky step backwards, my fingers barely brushing the stone.

"No," I whispered, a sob caught in my throat. "No." I could feel the god's emotions shifting beneath my fingers, changing from amusement to confusion.

"Child? What ails you? Speak!" I shook my head, clasping a hand over my mouth. The curse opened my mouth, forcing me to talk.

"I cannot." My breathing became rapid as I tried to choke down the cries building in my throat. "I cannot tell you why I have come." I stumbled backwards, away from the cool stone that was the god's soul. The moment my fingers left it, I could no longer sense his feelings or thoughts. I backed away, desperately trying to hold myself together. I could sense Char's presence behind me, and turned to see an alarmed expression flickering across his face. My journey had been pointless. I would never be able to apologize to him, to make him laugh a thousand times and beg his forgiveness. I would never be able to return to Kyrria- I was a danger, a ticking bomb that could hurt everyone I loved.

Char POV

I remember, when I was young, my father would come to my bedside and tell me stories of knights and ogres and dragons. He would tell me stories of good fairies and bad fairies, and I would sit there, enraptured by his voice, listening to his deep timbre creating worlds that I could almost see. Naturally, I was much more interested in the tales with knights dueling than the stories about love. I would wrinkle my nose and ask him why he liked telling those stories. He laughed and told me that love was the most powerful magic there was. It held power over emotions. I snorted, and told him that that wasn't very powerful. He turned to me, and looked me straight in the eye, saying "There is no greater power than love. It can make the bravest man tremble, the strongest man weak, and the most intelligent man into a babbling fool." I can remember nodding in agreement, but not understanding how love could affect a person so strongly like my father had described. About a year later, I met Ella.

I now understand what my father had been describing to me all those years ago. Seeing Ella stumble back from the stone, gasping that she couldn't tell the Phoenix about whatever it was that she had come to see it for, tears streaming down her face, I could feel her agony reflected in myself, and I stepped forward, catching her gently in my arms as she trembled. I pulled her close, whispering words of comfort as she sobbed over and over, " I can't tell him. I can't tell him." My thoughts were going a million miles a minute. Why had she could all this way only to turn back now? I could see Noirin approaching the stone, and my hold on Ella tightened. I didn't trust him. He reminded me too much of an ogre, a sickly sweet voice calling you to your doom. He lay a hand on the stone, and bowed his head in concentration.

Ella POV

"I know the reason the human girl cannot speak of her purpose here." Noirin's voice echoed up, and I looked up from Char's arms. Noirin had his hand pressed to the stone, and I realized his thoughts were echoing in my head. I could also once again sense the shifting consciousness of the Phoenix. "The human girl who stands before you is cursed with obedience. The 'gift' was given to her by the fairy Lucinda. Her mother ordered her to never speak of her curse; this is why she was unable to speak to you of it. She stands before you today to beg for the removal of it." I could feel the god contemplating.

"Step forwards, child." I looked up, towards the stone. "Come, come." I could him beckoning to me. Noirin stepped back, removing his hand from the crystal. I extracted myself from Char's arms, and, with a watery smile towards him, I shakily approached the Phoenix. I once again laid my hand on the cool stone, and felt the god's thoughts rush towards mine. "Do not fear child, I can help you with your curse." I felt hope begin to slowly fill me. Could I finally end this curse? The Phoenix began to speak again. "However, to remove your curse, first you must prove that you are worthy of being free of it."

"Please, I'll do anything," I gasped. I could feel him deliberating.

"I want you to give me what you love the most."

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><p><strong>AN: Hello guys :) Once again, I am so sorry that it took so long for me to update, and sorry that this chapter is not nearly long enough to make up for it. Things have calmed down a lot here, so I'm going to make myself an updating schedule that I'll actually stick to. This story only has two more chapters- the end of this scene and the conclusion! Once this story is nicely wrapped up, I'm going to finish my other story, **_**Worlds Collide**_**, and when I'm done with **_**that**_**, I have a poll up on my profile to find out what kind of story you guys want! Once again, thank you for sticking for this story for so long.**

**-phoenixcurse**


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